Public Health 101 Series

Instructor name

Title

Organization

Introduction to Public

Health Laboratories

Note: This slide set is in the public domain and may be customized as needed by the 

user for informational or educational purposes. Permission from the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention is not required, but citation of the source is 

appreciated.
Course Topics

2

Introduction to Public Health 

Laboratories

1. A Public Health Approach

2. What Are Public Health Laboratories?

3. Core Functions of State Public Health Laboratories

4. Public Health Laboratory Infrastructure

5. Laboratory Safety

6. Using Results To Affect Public Health
• describe the role of public health laboratories

• summarize the core functions of state public health 

laboratories

• describe the parts that are common to all public health 

laboratory system infrastructures

• recognize the need for different laboratory levels and 

safety practices

• explain the necessity for communicating with a laboratory 

when collecting and submitting samples for testing

• describe how laboratory results are used to affect public 

health

Learning Objectives

3

After this course, you will be able to
A Public Health Approach

Topic 1

4
A Public Health Approach

Surveillance Risk Factor 

Identification

Intervention

Evaluation Implementation

5
Public Health Core Sciences

6
What Are Public Health 

Laboratories?

Topic 2

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What Is a Public Health Laboratory?

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Video available at: http://vimeo.com/52548635
Working in collaboration with other 

arms of the nation’s public health

system, PHLs provide

• clinical diagnostic testing

• disease surveillance 

• advanced skills in laboratory 

practice

Public Health Laboratories

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Photo: James Gathany, CDC
The goal of public health 

laboratories is to protect and 

improve public health by 

• testing samples

• providing expertise

• communicating scientific 

information

The Goal of Public Health Laboratories

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Clinical Laboratories

versus Public Health Laboratories

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Clinical Laboratories —

Individual Health

Public Health Laboratories —

Population Health

• Diagnostic testing

• Some reference testing

• Medical management

• Some diagnostic testing

• Reference testing

• Surveillance and monitoring

• Emergency response support

• Applied research

• Workforce development and 

training
Newborn screening is an 

example of one of the many 

functions that a public health 

laboratory performs

Newborn Screening

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Which of the following are activities and services 

performed by public health laboratories? (Select 

all that apply)

Knowledge Check

13

A. Conducting blood tests as part of the ongoing 

management of a patient’s disease

B. Testing samples collected during a disease 

outbreak

C. Providing screening for all newborns

D. Training public health laboratory personnel 
A. Cholesterol screening

B. Diagnostic testing

C. Routine blood testing

D. Disease surveillance

Knowledge Check

Which of the following is the best example of what 

public health laboratories do as opposed to clinical 

laboratories?

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Core Functions of State 

Public Health Laboratories

Topic 3

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Photo: James Gathany, CDC
Core Functions of State

Public Health Laboratories

Eleven core functions have 

been established by the 

Association of Public Health 

Laboratories, or APHL, to provide 

a basis for assessing and 

improving the quality of 

laboratory activities being 

conducted

Photo: CDC

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Core Functions of State 

Public Health Laboratories

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). About public health labs. Silver Spring, MD: APHL; [undated]. 17

Core Functions 1–3

1. Disease prevention, control, and surveillance

2. Integrated data management

3. Reference and specialized testing
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). About public health labs. Silver Spring, MD: APHL; [undated]. 18

Core Functions of State 

Public Health Laboratories (continued)

Core Functions 4–6

4. Environmental health and protection

5. Food safety

6. Laboratory improvement and regulation
Core Functions of State 

Public Health Laboratories (continued)

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). About public health labs. Silver Spring, MD: APHL; [undated]. 19

Core Functions 7–9

7. Policy development

8. Public health preparedness and response

9. Public health–related research
Core Functions of State 

Public Health Laboratories (continued)

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). About public health labs. Silver Spring, MD: APHL; [undated]. 20

Core Functions 10–11

10. Training and education

11. Partnerships and communication
A. Diabetes

B. Leukemia

C. Jaundice

D. Hypothyroidism

Knowledge Check

Newborn screenings vary among public health 

laboratories; however, they all test for which 

condition?

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A. assessing, maintaining

B. assessing, improving

C. maintaining, standardizing

D. Improving, standardizing

Knowledge Check

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Eleven core functions have been established by the 

Association of Public Health Laboratories, or APHL, 

to provide a basis for _________ and _________ the 

quality of laboratory activities being conducted
Public Health Laboratory Infrastructure

Topic 4

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PHL System Infrastructure

State PHL

Environmental

laboratories

Physician

laboratories

Local public health 

departments 

and laboratories

Federal public 

health

laboratories

Clinical

laboratories

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PHL System Infrastructure (continued)

State PHL

Environmental

laboratories

Physician

laboratories

Local public health 

departments 

and laboratories

Federal public 

health

laboratories

Clinical

laboratories

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Federal

PHL System Infrastructure (continued)

States and Territories

Environmental

Private (physician

or clinical)

Perform tests on behalf

of the jurisdiction

Becomes involved when 

additional assistance is 

needed

Focuses on testing samples 

of air, food, soil, water, 

and zoonotic-related 

illnesses

Identifies initial cases 

associated with an 

outbreak

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A. Local public health laboratories

B. State public health laboratories

C. Federal laboratories

D. Private clinical laboratories

Knowledge Check

Which laboratory serves as the center of the public 

health laboratory system infrastructure?

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A. Collect specimens required for testing

B. Send specimens to clinical laboratories for 

confirmation of initial findings

C. Confirm cases through testing 

D. Provide guidelines and recommendations for

testing Salmonella bacteria

Knowledge Check

In the event of a salmonellosis outbreak, what role 

might a federal laboratory perform?

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Laboratory Safety

Topic 5

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Each laboratory must have key 

safety principles and procedures 

in place that minimize the risk 

for contamination and exposure 

to the pathogens being tested

Laboratory Safety Overview

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Laboratory Biosafety Levels

In biologic laboratories, one 

of four biosafety levels are 

assigned, with Level 1 being 

the lowest risk and Level 4 

the highest

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Laboratory Safety Governance

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Federal Entities

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Laboratory Safety Considerations

• What type of samples to collect

• What method(s) to use to collect 

the samples

• How to store the samples

• Which laboratory can receive and 

test the samples

• How to pack, label, and ship the 

samples

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Shipping Samples

• determine if the specimen is 

appropriate for the designated 

PHL

• identify correct packing and 

shipping techniques

• ensure specimens have correct 

documentation and labels

Before shipping samples,

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Knowledge Check

A. True

B. False

True or false? 

Safety principles and practices are the same for 

all laboratories.

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Using Results To Affect 

Public Health

Topic 6

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Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR)

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• Laboratory Response Network 

(LRN)

• Food Emergency Response 

Network (FERN)

• PulseNet
• monitor trends and detect changes,

• identify or confirm an outbreak,

• provide guidance and immediate action,

• guide public policy,

• determine disease history,

• prioritize resource allocation,

• provide a baseline for epidemiologic research, and

• identify environmental hazard and exposures

Using PHL Results

After public health data from ELRs are collected and 

disseminated, data are used to

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A. Guide public policy

B. Determine disease history

C. Detect changes

D. All of the above

Knowledge Check

Which of the following describe how public health 

laboratory data are used to affect public health?

39
• describe the role of public health laboratories

• summarize the core functions of state public health 

laboratories

• describe the parts that are common to all public health 

laboratory system infrastructures

• recognize the need for different laboratory levels and 

safety practices

• explain the necessity for communicating with a laboratory 

when collecting and submitting samples for testing

• describe how laboratory results are used to affect public 

health

Course Summary

40

During this course, you learned to
41

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Core functions and 

capabilities of state public health laboratories. MMWR Recommend Rep 

2002;51(No. RR 14). http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5114.pdf.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Multistate outbreak of 

listeriosis linked to whole cantaloupes from Jensen Farms, Colorado. 

Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2012. 

http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/cantaloupes-jensenfarms/index.html. 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recognizing the 

biosafety levels [Online training module]. Atlanta, GA: US Department of 

Health and Human Services, CDC; 2012. 

http://www.cdc.gov/learning/quick_learns.html.

• Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). About public health labs. 

Silver Spring, MD: APHL; [undated]. 

http://www.aphl.org/aboutaphl/aboutphls/pages/default.aspx.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). West Nile virus. Atlanta, 

GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2012. 

http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html. 

Resources and Additional Reading
Links provided in this course to nonfederal organizations are provided solely as a 

service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these 

organizations nor their programs by the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC 

is not responsible for the content contained at these sites.

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does 

not imply endorsement by the Division of Scientific Education and Professional 

Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Service, or the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services.

The findings and conclusions in this course are those of the authors and do not 

necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention.

Disclaimers

42
For more information, please contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30333

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)/TTY: 1-888-232-6348

Visit: http://www.cdc.gov | Contact CDC at: 1-800-CDC-INFO or http://www.cdc.gov/info

The findings and conclusions in this course are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services

Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development
Course Activity

(if time permits)

44
Salmonellosis Outbreak

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Photograph: Janice Haney Carr